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Lesson Plan
Bonneville

Solar Tracker Challenge

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Follow the light—not with one's eyes—but with a special solar tracker. Future engineers design and build a device that tracks light. They must build circuits in which solar cells rotate to receive equal amounts of light.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Solar Kit Lesson #13 - Solarize a Toy

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Physical science or technology classes will be invigorated by this challenge: to convert a toy, game, or other device to run on solar power. In doing so, they will design the appropriate solar arrays. This is an A+ lesson, complete with...
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Lesson Plan
Science Matters

Parallel Circuits

For Teachers 4th
The lights don't always go out when the switch is flipped. The 10th lesson in a series of 14 helps learners build a conceptual understanding of the flow of electricity through a parallel circuit. They then build their own parallel...
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Lesson Plan
1
1
Wind Wise Education

What is the Cost of Inefficiency?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
What does it cost to keep the lights on? Through a hands-on activity, class members use a watt meter and determine the amount of energy different types of light bulbs use. The class then determines the financial and environmental cost of...
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Activity
Exploratorium

Circles of Magnetism IV

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Hang a strip of foil on a stand and form a loop out of it. Then attach the clips of a battery-operated circuit to the loop to see its sides repel each other. This simple demonstration is applicable and easy to add to your lecture on...
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Lesson Plan
Science Matters

Motors

For Teachers 4th
It's time to get moving! The 13th lesson in a 14-part unit on electricity and magnetism explores the relationship between electricity and mechanical energy. Budding scientists build motors and experiment with different components to...
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Interactive
Physics Classroom

Know Your Potential

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Never underestimate potential—electric or your own. Scholars apply a color scheme based on the changes in electric potential as part of a series on electric circuits. They consider splitting wires, light bulb placement, and voltage as...
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Activity
Teach Engineering

Consult for the Conductive Circuit Card Company

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Light up someone's day with conductive greeting cards. Scholars design and create greeting cards that include LED lights. Rather than use copper tape, they apply conductive paint or copper paint to create the necessary electric circuits.
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Lesson Plan
1
1
Bonneville

Introduction to Circuits

For Teachers 7th - 8th Standards
Light up the class's knowledge. Pupils build a simple circuit using a battery, wire, and a light bulb and create a diagram of their circuit. The teacher provides a short lecture on a complete circuit, calling attention to the direction...
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Lesson Plan
Bonneville

Illuminate Me: Merging Conductive Sewing, Technology, and Solar Power

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Sew up a unit on solar energy with a hands-on project. Groups sew LED lights on clothing using conductive thread. Solar modules attached to a helmet provide the energy for the lights. A final presentation gives learners the opportunity...
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Activity
Exploratorium

Touch the Spring

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Concave mirrors and the images they produce are traditional topics in the physics classroom. This resource explains how to set up an investigation of them, and it provides you with the explanation of concepts.
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Interactive
PHET

Band Structure

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Electricity travels at the speed of light, 186,000 miles per second. Through a simulation, classes see how the structure of energy bands in crystals of atoms determines how materials conduct electricity. Participants can change the...
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Lesson Plan
1
1
Bonneville

Introduction to the Photovoltaic Effect

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Let a video light the way to a better understanding of solar energy. Scholars first learn vocabulary terms related to the photovoltaic effect, solar cells, and electricity. They then watch a video to learn why silicon is often used as a...
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Activity
PBS

Dough Creatures

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Knead a resource on electric circuits? A fun activity teaches future scientists about conductors and insulators. They prepare conducting and insulating dough and use them to make creatures that light up.
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Activity
PBS

High Tech Fashion

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Creatively combine clothes and conductors. Pupils learn how to use conductive thread to make electric circuits. They apply the thread to design and build an accessory item with LEDs.
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Types of Energy

For Students 2nd - 5th
In this examples of energy worksheet, students complete the definitions to 9 different types of energy. Students write out an example of each type next to each definition.
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Lesson Plan
Bonneville

Simple Solar Tracker

For Teachers 4th - 12th Standards
Let the solar cells fight each other for supremacy! Given a functional solar tracker that moves toward light, groups copy the design to build their own devices. They use two sets of solar cells that have reverse polarization, so that the...
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Lesson Plan
1
1
WindWise Education

How Does a Generator Work?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
I get a charge out of this. In order to learn how a generator works, groups build and test one in this ninth lesson of the series. The generators are tested at low speed and high speed to determine the watt output and whether they have...
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Lesson Plan
1
1
Science 4 Inquiry

Introducing the Types of Energy

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Young scientists explore many different types of energy including light, heat, nuclear, sound, potential, and more. They match the types of energy and identify when energy transfers from one type to another.
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Lesson Plan
Science Matters

Series Circuit and Switches

For Teachers 4th
Lights out! Scholars build on their understanding of a simple circuit by adding a switch and creating schematic drawings. The eighth lesson in a series of 14 has pupils use everyday materials to create circuits and make observations as...
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Lesson Plan
Carnegie Mellon University

How Power Plants Work 2

For Teachers 7th - 12th
In this second of three lessons on power plants, future engineers find out how we generate electricity and how coal-powered plants operate. They work in small groups to make electromagnet generators to light LED bulbs. A set of...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What is Energy?

For Teachers K
Youngsters take a look at the foods they eat, and how they provide energy for them to do things. They look at how body uses the food energy to create movement. Pupils also look at toys/devices in the room that need electrical energy...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Simple Circuit

For Students 4th - 6th
In this circuits worksheet, students follow directions on how to make a light bulb light and answer questions about it. Students answer 1 question about an insulator and 1 about a conductor.
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Lightning Rod

For Students 3rd - 6th
In this lightning rod activity, students make a lightning rod out of batteries, breadboard, light bulbs, wires, and more. Students also answer 2 questions.